


He’s not breathing

by Melime



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Adoribull Prompt Sunday, Drowning, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-29 11:24:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5125676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melime/pseuds/Melime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a couple of minutes before Bull noticed that Dorian still hadn’t gotten out of the water.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He’s not breathing

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Português brasileiro available: [Ele não está respirando](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5125697) by [Melime GreenLeaf (Melime)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melime/pseuds/Melime%20GreenLeaf)



> little-miss-scar asked "Adoribull Prompt Sunday: CPR? Bull administers CPR to Dorian after he drowns at the Storm Coast? Bonus points for a few broken ribs?"

Everything happened too fast. In the heat of the battle, you can’t always afford to worry about your companions, you have to be aware of their location and help when you can, but you need to trust them to take care of themselves. There were demons everywhere, and Bull was the only warrior to keep them away from the ranged fighters. He saw Dorian being tossed into the water, but saw no blood, and the Inquisitor was using her hand to try to weaken the demons, so he had to prioritize. She was defenseless while using that ability, but it would make the battle end faster.

It was a couple of minutes before Bull noticed that Dorian still hadn’t gotten out of the water, but the battle still wasn’t over. “Where’s Dorian?” he yelled, hoping that the Inquisitor or Sera could see him from their better advantage point, hoping he was mistaken and had just failed to see him.

“I don’t have eyes on him!” Sera replied.

“I think he fell on the water!” the Inquisitor said.

Bull panicked. It was too long, something was wrong. Dorian could have been hit on the head or by any other reason be unconscious. The Inquisitor must have felt his concern, or thought the same thing, because the next thing she did was order him to go after Dorian, assuring him that she and Sera could take care of the last few demons. He didn’t have to be told twice, tossing his axe and jumping in the water.

The water was agitated, and too dark for him to see. He swam aimlessly, trying to find him by touch when his eye failed him. Dorian wasn’t too deep, his boot got trapped in the support of the bridge just a couple meters below the surface, and that prevented him from floating away. By the time Bull managed to get him out of the water, the demons were gone, and Sera and the Inquisitor came running in their direction.

“He’s not breathing,” the Inquisitor said, trying to get near him, but Bull wouldn’t let her.

He started working with the resuscitation techniques he learned, fearing for a moment that he would hurt Dorian, having only used that on other Qunari before. “Do you know how to do this?” he asked while he alternated between the artificial breath and the chest compressions, knowing it would be best if he had another person so he wouldn’t need to stop the compressions.

“I’m sorry, I’ve never seem this technique before,” the Inquisitor said, and looked for Sera for a clue, but she shook her head.

“Dorian will be alright, won’t he?” Sera asked, scared.

Bull ignored them. He was running out of time, and Dorian still haven’t expelled the water that was surely in his lungs. Getting desperate, he started punching Dorian’s chest.

“What are you doing?” the Inquisitor asked, and tried to stop him.

He heard something cracking, but didn’t stop, and after a couple more punches, Dorian started vomiting water. Bull helped him to his side, and held him like this for a while, to make sure all the water was gone. Dorian’s breathing was heavy, and he was holding onto Bull as if his life depended on it.

“Are you alright, kadan? Can you speak?” Bull asked desperately.

Dorian held up a finger, asking for a second, and after a couple large breaths, he asked, “Demons?”

“They are gone, we defeated them,” the Inquisitor supplied.

Dorian nodded. “Chest… hurts,” he said with difficulty.

Bull held him in a loose embrace, to comfort without worsening his condition. “I’m sorry, you weren’t breathing, I had to do something. I may have broken a few ribs, we need to go see a healer.” His voice was full of guilt, he did what he had to, but he still had harmed Dorian.

Dorian could see that, and despite having trouble breathing and keeping conscious, he fought to say the next few words, “Thank… you… amatus.” He needed to take deep breaths between which word, and it caused him pain, but he couldn’t stand Bull’s guilt.

Bull lifted him from the ground, turning to the Inquisitor. “Boss–”

“I know, Bull,” she interrupted, “yes, let’s go back to camp. Sera, you are faster, go ahead and tell the healer to start preparing.” She took Bull’s axe without asking him about it, even though it was harder for her to lift it than it would be for Bull even with Dorian.

Bull watched her do it and considered for a moment if he should take it from her, but he understood her need to feel useful and let her do it, instead starting to move towards the camp. “You are going to be alright, kadan,” he whispered to Dorian, carefully pressing him against his chest.

Dorian pressed his hand against Bull’s. His breath was growing more stable, and although he was too tired to speak, and still in pain, his injuries wasn’t too severe. It was the first time that Bull was faced with the possibility of losing Dorian since the start of their relationship, and he knew now that he couldn’t stand that. He pressed Dorian against his chest, getting from him a faint whine, which forced him to release the pressure, but before he let go, he whispered softly, “Please don’t scare me like this again, kadan, please don’t leave me.”


End file.
